below
by lyrastone
Summary: xxxholic AU basically Doumeki is an admiral of a ship that fights pirates sorry pirate lovers  who finds a mermaid who he takes care of and even gives a name! remember helping a mermaid gets you a wish granted. WARNING! YAOI AHEAD DON'T LIKE DON'T READ!
1. Chapter 1

the beauty below

the admiral looked over the side of his ship at the dark ocean waters. a while back, months, he last saw the Jamaican islands. he and his crew had been sent out on what he dubbed a wild goose chase. the pirates we was supposed to find would never be found because he watched the particular ship he was sent to find sink only days before he was sent off. now he sat angry and bored staring out at the ocean. 'hideous...' he thought in a bored tone. the ocean used to fascinate him but now, the very thought of it made him turn up his nose and walk away.

with his thoughts moving turbulently around in his head he almost missed it. the shimmer of color just below the water's lifted his head from the rim of the ship and searched for it again. a few minutes passed before the admiral saw it again. the sheen of blue laced with pink, purple, and green. the water just added unnatural luster to the foray of colors, but just as soon as it was there it was gone again. the admiral wanted what ever it was, whether it be a fish of unbridled beauty, or a loot of immeasurable worth, he had to have it. as he turned to assemble his crew he saw it again but a pale, almost white was added to the mix of color. he stared again, hoping to find out what it was before he brought it up. then a face came out of the water, blue eyes met gold and for a minute time stopped. they stared into each others eyes. the admiral was captivated and didn't even have the chance to wonder what a boy would be doing swimming way out in the Atlantic before he dived back under and dissipated with a flick of his tail and a splendor of colors .

"Cre! stop the ship and ready the nets! we have a very large fish at our side!"t crew on deck immediately stopped what ever it was the had been doing and began the tasks the admiral requested. a younger crew hand came up to the admiral and said, "sir! the nets are ready. shall we cast yet sir?" the admiral began to walk, motioning for the man to man ensued his admiral to the edge of the ship and looked into the dark waters. the luminous colors arouse again making the young man's eyes widen in shock.

" Sir! what was that?"asked the young deck hand.

"that was your answer. throw the nets over," he said with a viscous smirk plastering his young features. after months on sea he had finally been rewarded. if he gave this to the king he would never have to go out on the water again.

he watched as his crew pulled the fish netting up, waiting patiently for his beautiful prize. he remember the features of the creatures face. pale white skin accented with black hair and the most beautiful cobalt eyes he had ever seen. right now the admiral didn't care that what he saw had been male. if the king didn't like him then the queen most definitely would. he was brought out of his trance for the second time the day when he heard his crew stop there consistent complaining about the weight of the load to a murmur of disbelief. the admiral pushed his way through the crowd and stopped in front of the most majestic creature he had ever seen, and as with most of his crew his breath was taken away. the boy sat up as best he could, for his tail was in the way and the deck was slippery. he looked around. slowly fear overtook his features and he crawled backwards till his back hit the side of the ship. his hands fiddled the side of the ship looking for the edge he knew he had been pulled up from. the admiral walked over to him and gripped his arm just before he tried to get away. the boy screamed and tried to push away the hand, but only accomplished in falling over. the crew started laughing and saying things like how stupid the creature was. anger welled in the admirals gut at this disrespectful display so he yelled, "find a tank or object to fill with water so this creature doesn't die. all of you go now!" but the crew hesitated.

" Go now i said!" and his men shuffled quickly away. when the were out of his sight he looked down at the boy, who now was laying limp on the deck. his face was buried in his arm and he sounded as though he was sobbing. the admiral had been trained to be heartless, but he couldn't help the small stab of pain enter his heart as he saw the pitiful sight before him, but he dismissed it like any good admiral would. he paused a moment and listened to the sobbing before he spoke. he said, "hey...do you speak." but the poor creature didn't answer him. he didn't even look up. he just kept weeping into his arm, so the admiral dropped the arm he was holding and instead gripped his hair, pulling him up to meet his face. he screamed and reached for the wrist containing the portion of his hair. the admiral again said, "do you speak?" he was more firm this time.

"well, do you?" said the admiral.

"..."

"DO YOU?" he yelled

" yes! I'm sorry!" cried the boy. " I speak. every language I've ever heard, i speak. I'm sorry."

the admiral was shocked. he really didn't expect to get English out of him. truthfully he only expected the creature not to have a language at all, he just wanted to vent. the admiral was silent till the creature spoke again, saying, "please...just let me go...i have a home, just like you, i have friends too. please let me go home." the admiral didn't reply. the boy hadn't mentioned his family like most "People" would. did these creatures not have families? as he opened his mouth to speak a deck hand, different from before, came up to him and told him that the usual fish hold was prepared for this newcomer. it was filled with water and the glass would be polished so the admiral could see his spectacle. a smirk spread across his face and the captured boy's blood ran cold. as the deck hand walked away the admiral looked at the boy and said, "you are not to speak to any of the crew members except for me. if you do i will punish you by cutting off your tail." the boy's eyes widened before he began to cry hair was let go and his arms were bound with the rope that had been left out by his main deck hand. the boy knew he had been beat long ago so he didn't even struggle with his binds at all. he was on a man's ship, he was weak here. the admiral called a couple of his crew over and ordered them to take his prize to the fish hold. he smiled as the creature was hauled off and he turned back to the vast ocean and stared.

"i think i like it out here just a bit more now." he said.


	2. Chapter 2

-the beauty below

ch.2

the admiral woke up that night. his head hurt and his clothes were soaked with sweat. he cursed himself for still being able to feel fear. his past still haunted his nights. the horrid people in this world made him the way he was today, horrid too. he was still afraid of pirates. he thought back to when he was 17 and pirates ravaged his seaside village and had kidnapped him. he was the captains personal slave. wherever the captain went he followed a chain had been shckled around his neck like he was a dog. when finally those pirates had been arrested and he was rescued he made a vow to get his revenge on th pirate world. that was how he became admiral.

he got out of his bed and walked down to the fish hold. usually it had fish rotting away in it, but it was quiet se he went down there often. when he opened the door he saw moonlight filling the room in what looked like waves. shadows were casted by the movement of the water in the tank. most of the tank was in the lowest hull of the ship, and to keep it from spilling he had never seen it like this before so he sat in his red velvet sound of the water moving and sloshing was enough to lull him back to sleep, but just as he closed his eyes he hear a voice say, "do you sleep down here often?" he opened his eyes to see the black haired boy's arms folded over the top of the tank. his gorgeous face was placed ever so delictely on top of his arms. the admiral didn't answer, just stared. the boy waited, but decided he wasn't getting an answer anytime soon so he asked a different one.

"whats your name mister?" he said. the moonlight glitted off his face making his eyes glow an aquamarine color rather than his usual coblt. he tilted his hea and waited for an answer, not really expecting one though.

"my name is shizuka doumeki." he said soflty as if a curse would fall upon them if anyone else heard them. he closed his eyes again thinking the boy would just laugh or insult him, but instead he answered, " thats nice i guess...now i can call you by something. if i have to stay here i should at least know my captors name right?" he sighed and tilted his head away from te light so that only one of his eyes were the light blue casted by the moon.

"whats yours then?" asked admeral Doumeki. the boy looked at him adn sighed, "i don't have master took my name away so i couldn't break away from her. i wanted a wish granted so i had to help her, but i felt her work was too much, so she took my name. you know...if you help a mermaid you get a wish granted...any wish you want, no matter what it is...but sometimes it costs you something important, like a name..." Doumeki took all this in before saying, "would you like a name?" and for the first time that night the boy lifted his head.

"yeah...that would be nice."and then he layed his back down on his arms.

"then i'll call you Watanuki...Kimihiro Watanuki. how does that sound?" the boy closed his eyes and answered with a," whatever." and sank beneith the water, and sank under the lower hull, moonlight csting bright colors off of his tail and onto Doumeki's face. once more doumeki fell back into sleep.

the nap was short ended and the admiral was awoke by the sound of swords clashing and the expolsions from cannons. immeadiatley he was on his feet and running to the deck of his ship.

the night sky was clouded by the deep grey of smoke from the flameon his hull. his crew ran amok, fighting and defending his ship. he ran about, sword drawn and yelling orders to his crew. he looked up to see what or who was plauging him and deadpaned. it was those blasted pirates again! he raced toward the comming onslaught and branished his sword out in front of him. metal hit fle`sh of an unpreared enemy.

the world one level below the main deck was a little different. Watanuki swam contentedly around in his warm pool of water, not knowing of the wretched ruckus abouve. the pirates ran down the stairs and only then did he feel the vibrations frothing down into the depths of his tank. he swam forward to the edge and peered out into the area where he last saw the admiral. he furrowed his dark brows at the thought of the arrogant man, and abandoned his wonderings of the vibrations that disturbed his water filled confinment. he stopped thinking about the admiral when a blur of red, black, and plaid came into his vison. he turned his head onlt to see a young man, not as young as the admiral, but young none the less. he wore a red rust colored hat, a black shirt, and a pair of plaid paints. his clothing were accented with a rapier and beads all over, and his eyes held the slightest tint of surprise, but the rest held want. watanuki swam away from the glass and down into the hullwhen the young man began to walk towards him.


	3. Chapter 3

The water drained from the pool and there was nowhere for the glorious mermaid to go. he awaited silently his fate. more torture comes from these disgusting humans. he lay still in the puddle that formed he breathed in stale human air and let the tears well, but not fall. the man in red walked through the hole he made in the tank as the ship shifted underneath.

"what is this?" inquired the man in red, "are you a mermaid?"

Watanuki stayed silent, face downcast. the man strutted, conceitedly, forward causing watanuki to hunker down further to the water covered wooded floor. the man squated next to the cold, scared, and quivering creature. the man pushed his hand from the floor the the stark black wisps of hair that crowned the trembling water dwellers head, and made contact, putting the soft strands in disarray. the boy flinched. the fear in that flich traveled through the red man's glove to his hand. the startled movement, for absolutely no reason what so ever, angered the man greatly. he entangled his finger harchly in the wet hair, pulling, and elicting a sharp scream of pain from watanuki. a smile spread eirily across his face. he thought the powerless creature clinging despiratly to his wrists, pleading to be let go, had a very beautiful scream. his voice must be nice too.

"can you speak english?" he asked. watanuki was scared, not sure of how to answer him. he had, only hours before, answered the sam question. Doumeki had specifically said never to speak to another person. the thought of that mean man made him just want to say yes, he spoke english rather fluently. he opened his mouth and whispered.

"what did you say?" he asked and leaned into him. breath stroking the skin on his warmth hissed to hi nerves and made his cringe. watanuki closed his mouth. after a long moment of silence the man in red pulled hard on Watanuki's hair, whipping the ppor boy's head up. he screamed out again, louder and more hurt than before. a tear streaked his face. it sparkled as the moonlight hit it perfectly. his skin was darkend a very slight shade where the tear had slide down in a path. a cord was struck in the man, making his sadistic side peer up.

the man stood, pulling watanuki with him painfully. the lack of legs made it hard for the man to stand, so to relieve himself of the difficult pressure he threw the boy in his hands to the floor, and began to walk away. lifting his head Watanuki looked hopefully at the back of the man, hoping he would keep going, keep walking up those stairs, but he didn't. the wish was short lived. the man grabbed a potatoe bag and emptied it out on the floor, turned to look at the mercreature, and smiled. watanuki knew what was bout to happen, so he made a last ditch effeort to be happy. he crawled.

the man just gigled and briskly walked over to the weak boy, and with a flick of the wrist, Watanuki was in the potatoe bag. he was being hauled like luggage up the stairs to the upper floors, and soon, another ship. there wasn't much a difference. he would be put in a tank of some sort so he couldn't escape, sold off to the highest bidder, and looked at bby people who just had to see the freak. he wiggled a little. the only true difference was one ship thought he was a coin in the pocket and the other thought he was worthy of a name. he wiggled in his small solitary confinment a little more this time. he felt so weak...adn since he thought about it, he didn't like being weak, so he wiggled more and began to puch and sream all the profanities he'd ever heard. the red man who was walking silently back to his ship was frozen. the screams from the large brown potatoe sack grabbed the attention of doumeki.

the young pirate forced a scared smile as the admral ran after him. there was no way his prize, his way off this ship, would be stolen by a filthy pirate. the theiving man climed up onto the side of the ship and began to jump, but was forcibly stalled. he looked over his shoulder to see the admiral, hand gripping the sack tightly and a rapiers' end pointed to his nose. his hands unconsciously relaxed, letting the sack fall gently into the arms of the admiral. the bag, which had been held closed by the hands of the man in red, unravled to reveal the beautiful mermaid with cobalt eyes. Doumeki held the legless male up with one arm wrapped around his waist. watanuki held onto doumeki's blue suit tightly, not used to the upright position of humans and the downward pull of gravity. he closed his eyes.

when he opened them again he was inside the captains quarters warm and in a strage sitting position. his back was arched out comfortably and his fin was drapping across the edge of whatever he was laying on. had he fallen asleep? yes he had, and he intended to stay so. he hunkered down and pushed his face into something broad, firm, and yeet, really soft. it was inviting. sleep had almost takin him back under, but an obnoxious voice stormed his thoughts.

"Oi." it said.

Watanuki opened his eyes slowly, letting his eyes adjust to the light of the dimly lit room. he saw a wall. a very nice wall, but a wall none the less. he grumbled pushed himself up into a sitting position, then began to look around. to his immeadiate left was the wall. as he turned his head to see a table, fire lamp, a desk and a chair. as he continued right he saw another lamp, this on was taller and standing by the desk rather than being connected to the wall, a wardrobe, a small table, and a chest. a very male chest covered in a white button up collared shirt. even still he was starled. he yelled and jumped up trying to get away. doumeki firmly, yet gently, grabbed hold of watanuki's wrists and held him still. he stopped wiggling for a moment and looked up at the admiral. their eyes met and his face flushed. he looked quickly away, embarrased at the position he had just realized he was in.

Doumeki was sitting on a bad in the middle of the room. Watanuki was sitting on his lap, hands pinned down. even though the customs for the merfolk and humans were different, there were some things that remained the same. Doumeki sensed the boy's unease and stood to lay the embarassed captiveon the bed. with wrists released, doumeki went to sit on a chair.

"Are you okay?" he asked. watanuki looked up, embarassment wipped away from his face.

"yeah, i'm fine. are you?"

"yeah."

"i...i see..."

and silence.

A very akward silence.

with nothing better to do watanuki layed back down on the large bed and rolled over to face to left wall again. he closed his eyes, hoping sleep would engulf him soon so he could escape the odd situation he felt was caused by the stoic man in the chair.

"Watanuki...did you talk to him?"

The question surprised didn't talk TO him, but yelled behind him. what could he say?

"no..." was all he said before he closed his eyes and went straight to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

special thanks to Sunnivaixchel for reviewing my story so often! :D *hugs* also to anyone who reads this i can only update on school breaks and on the weekends maybe...

Disclaimer: i don't own XXXholic, I'm not clamp. this disclaimer is for the whole fic...because i forgot to add it to the other chapters...

The night had ended as quickly as a chaste kiss. it lingered only for a moment, only long enough to be noticed, then it left, making room for the sun. during the fleeting moment Watanuki had been moved. a bed was not the best place for a fish, by any means. he needed water. the admiral knew this and as the fair beast fell into sleep the admiral filled his personal bath with moderately hot water. he walked back into the main room and gazed at the elegant boy sleeping peacefully in his bed. he knew he shouldn't, but he stared, captivated by the elegance held in such a different creature. even as it snored and grumbled rather ridiculously, he was still marvelous. Doumeki inched closer. at the time the moon was still slumbering high above, waiting it's bright chasing lovers' return. the moon cast small pools of white light across the porcelain skin and shimmering jeweled tail, and for a moment he thought that maybe he shouldn't give Watanuki to the king.

Doumeki pause. did he really just think that? yes he did, but he threw the thought aside. this mermaid was his ticket to a new, peaceful life in the new world. a nice sea side house, a wife, maybe a child, a pet. he wouldn't give up that dream because he felt a sudden sting of pity for a weak powerless fish. his hands moved over his face and through his hair, clearing his thoughts. he picked up Watanuki and took him over to the bathroom. the water was hot now, which he hoped wouldn't wake the sleeping boy, but would cool as the night passed on to day.

The water added a sort of luster to the glow of the moonlight skin and lightly shinning scales. the heat did not wake him, rather it seemed more like to lull him deeper in slumber. again he stared. he noticed, this time, how the scales overlapped one another until they reached his skin, where they seemed to fade into him like roots in the ground. his back had scales running its length as well. they ran up the sides of his back, avoiding the spin, up over his shoulders and up his neck. no one scale was the same color as another, and they seemed to move with the water and light. a wonderfully exotic gift indeed.

soon the admiral became weary of marveling and stood and walked back into the main room. he was tired. he disrobed and climbed into bed, exhausted. he covered up, rolled onto his side, and began to think of the things that needed to be done when they reached port tomorrow. fix the hull, fix the fish hold, find a large portable confinement for Watanuki, restock supplies...and he was out before he could finish his list. he just hoped his sleep wouldn't be disturbed again that night.

he woke the next morning hungry and thirsty. he stretched a bit and got out of bed to get dressed in his clean admiral uniform before going to the bathroom to primp himself up. hygiene was very important on a ship when land may not be spotted in weeks.

he opened the door to the bathroom and turned on the faucet to his left the door open, confident that no one would walk in on him. he washed his face, hands, and hair in the sink and went to brush his teeth but paused when he someone said, "your a freak..."

Doumkei turned towards his tub and the sound of the voice to see the merboy, lounging awkwardly in the water. his elbow was propped up on rim of the tub holding his head up and his tail was billowing over the edge of the tub draping onto the floor. it was a sight for sore eyes. it was like seeing a woman in an elegant English dress in his tub rather than a male mercreature. so gorgeous. and very distracting. he didn't realize that he had been staring and neglecting to reply to the looked away before quietly asking, "why?"

"You wash your face and hair, but not the rest of your body. i think it's a bit...weird..which makes you a freak."he stated blatantly. "if i were you, and thank goodness I'm not, i would bathe."

"someone is taking up residence in my tub."

"you could just put me back in the ocean where i belong and then take a bath."

"don't want to..." Doumeki stated reluctantly. Watanuki flushed red with anger and Doumeki smirked, only managing to anger the already flustered boy. the small, rude, twist of the lips sent the other into a frantic yelling spree. screaming about Doumeki being, "such a rude obnoxious ass," and, "i hate you!" kinds of things. Doumeki just smirked some more, until a thought rose in his head suddenly. he put down his brush, walked over Watanuki, wrapped his arms around the lithe boy, only to drape the wet, dripping body over his shoulder.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" he yelled much louder than needed into the admiral's ear before being plopped onto his tail outside the bathroom. Doumeki turned around and walked back into the lavatory, locking the previously open door behind him.

"I'll bathe now. Feel better merboy?"he said calmly through the door. he smiled contentedly when Watanuki began to rant and rave outside the door. who knew he could be so interesting.


	5. Chapter 5

Okay, special thanks to all my reviewers. I decided to fix the capitalization errors in my writing instead of just lazily posting something. Hope it makes people happy. =-D

Also, sorry about the chapters being so short. I'm vying to make them longer.

As the day droned on the main port came into view. The crew celebrated silently to them selves knowing they could finally have a break from the sea. Taverns, hotels, alcohol, you name it! They could finally rest. Even the admiral looked forward to docking at port for the night, but he would never admit so, and even though he wished to go with his crew onto the long awaited land mass, he knew he couldn't. There were pirates and thieves here who would love to pillage a Ship from the royal navy and with Watanuki aboard he just couldn't take the chance.

Thinking of the merboy as they drew closer he wondered what he could be doing at that moment. He stood at the wheel while his crew hustled back and forth, preparing for the bang-up time they would have, observing. He was probably lounging in the tub in a rather bored manner like he had left him, or maybe he had crawled out and made his way to the door trying to unlock it so he could go back home. Anything was likely at this point.

He walked around the steering and made his way to deck and onward to the bow. He stood over the figurehead of his ship, which he had never actually taken the time to look at. He decided to take this time before port landing to look at the figure head and distract himself from the distracting Watanuki. The figure head was, from what he could tell a woman. Her long hair draped elegantly over her shoulders and chest. A navy ship couldn't be raunchy. It had to have some tact. As he gazed down at it he noticed something below him. It looked like a tail of a fish. He stared long and hard before he realized that the figure head on his ship was a mermaid. How appropriate, so much for a distraction. He stood straight and looked forward to see the islands port in great detail. He turned around to face an impatient crew.

"We need to sail in slowly. Lower the two main sails and turn the bow to face the sea port!" he yelled at his crew, "once in port, drop the anchor and then we will disembark." The crew jeered and howled in a delighted froth. He walked through the overly happy crowd back to his quarters, where his Watanuki would be waiting.

His Watanuki…it was starting to sound better and better. As the time drug on he realized he didn't want to give up the merboy. He enjoyed his company more than anyone else's on the ship. These thoughts plagued him. He, for the second time, wiped his had across his face and pulled it on back through his hair. He opened up his door as he reached it then walked through going into his bedroom. He closed the door silently and leaned against it. Just his luck, He finds a way to a contented life without pirates and he begins to fall for it.

He didn't bother going into the bathroom to go see Watanuki, he couldn't face him right now knowing what he knew. He, first, had to clear his head. He lay down on his bed, on his stomach and decided to go to sleep. He woke up early that morning and his crew was an able-bodied one, they could manage to port the ship easily enough. He tore off his jacket without leaving the comfort of his bed and threw it to the floor. He curled up and was out like a light in a matter of moments. He didn't even stop to think then either.

When he awoke again it was night. The darkness that swam around him made it hard to wake up. White light poured in through the windows of his sip from the moon. Doumeki sat up and rubbed his face. Something had woke him. He crawled out of bed and pulled on his jacket, which had been lying exactly where he had thrown it before he had fallen asleep. He walked over to his desk and pulled his belt and rapier of his smooth surface. He buckled it around his hip and adjusted his pants to fit his more comfortably. He left his room and walked all over his ship, looking for whatever had woke him. He actually wasn't sure what had woke, a sound, a voice, he wasn't sure.

He had looked everywhere he could think, but couldn't find any problem at all, so he walked back to his room. In his room he threw off his belt and rapier back onto the desk and again pulled off his coat. As he was about to get into bed he heard something. It sounded like parades of rain pouring in droves onto a floor. He turned around to try and hear the watery sound better. It sloshed and wheezed, and he listened to it for only a moment longer before he realized what the sound was. It sounded like Watanuki was vomiting.

He ran to his bathroom as fast as he could and slammed open the door. He didn't look down as he stepped in, but he knew something was wrong with the floor. He felt as though he was standing on a patch of ice. He looked down. Red ice. His eyes followed the trail of deep crimson to a hand that lay limp on the floor. He leaned down and took the hand in his own, pulling the rest of the body with it. The bath was, as well as his floor, amerced in blood. Doumeki looked down at the gasping creature. His skin was paler than before, which he would never have thought possible till now. Blood was smeared all across his delicate torso, tainting the pure white body. He looked more weak and scared than when Doumeki had first seen him on his ship.

There were no external wounds. No part of the merboy was maimed, and yet something was dreadfully wrong if there was blood plastering his bath, tub, toilet, and floor. The poor boy had yet to say anything to the terrified admiral, so Doumeki spoke first.

"Watanuki, what happened?" he said, voice wavering. His fear showed clearly through his clenched teeth. The boy moved his head to look the admiral in the eye.

"Oh…it's you Doumeki…I got some blood on your toilet…I'm sorry…" he said softly with a pained smile accenting his now decrepit features.

"That wasn't what I was asking, you idiot! What's wrong with you…why is there blood everywhere?" he yelled. Long pause followed before Watanuki spoke again.

"I'm dying." He said. He turned his face away to look at the blood covered floor. He didn't want to see the pain filled expression on his face. Both felt as though they would cry at any moment, but neither would allow it.

"What can I do to save you?" the admiral asked. Watanuki's eyes widened for a moment, and he turned to look back at the admiral. There it was, that pained expression he hadn't wanted to see on such a stoic face.

"I need the sea…" he said.

"Salt water?" the admiral asked desperately.

"No…the ocean…the sea…the movement of the waves and the caressing of the water…that is what keeps me alive. I will die otherwise…"

The admiral wasn't sure what to say. He knew that if he wanted Watanuki to live he would have to toss hi back into the ocean waters, but if he wanted to live a contented life without the ocean he would have to keep him. In the few days they had spent with each other he had gotten close, much closer, than he ever thought possible. It may have just been one sided though, but Doumeki cared for the dying boy being cradled in his arms. He made a last ditch decision to save him.


	6. Chapter 6

The moon didn't seem to shine as brightly as the admiral ran across the dock making his way to a secluded patch of rocks where the water would be easy to access. The boy he towed in his arms breathed as weak as he breathed heavily. He felt death licking at his heal, reaching for the dying boy in his arms. He hoped if he ran fast enough that he would be able to out run death, but with every glance at his new found friend his hope faded.

The water beat against the breast of the island gently and passionately. It was the perfect spot to save a dying mermaid. The foam formed at the mouth of the rock. It looked like a blanket made especially for Watanuki, made just for this occasion, to keep him alive. Doumeki knelt down and placed his friend in the limpid water. It was cold on his hands, but Watanuki's body was colder, and this would help warm him up…hopefully.

The water covered his body, but even amerced he could still be seen. The admiral climbed in the water and held onto the merboy so he didn't drift away with the waves. The time passed but those cobalt eyes didn't open. He felt as though he had lost him, even though he still breathed a shallow breath, he seemed gone. The water seemed to get warmer as his skin cooled and adjusted to its temperature. It lulled him, made him tired. He closed his eyes intent on only resting them, but something aside from the pulsing water moved. His eyes shot open and he looked down. Watanuki had moved around in his lap so his head could lie on his shoulder. His tail was held out of the water and glimmered in the light of the waning gibbous. A small delicate smile was plastered on his face and he sighed.

"Thank you Doumeki…I feel so much better now…" he whispered. His eyes stayed closed as he moved his fingers playfully across the glass like top of the water. Doumeki felt his strength come back into his body with every delicate movement of that perfect boys hand. He wanted to take hold of it, to hold such perfection in his own hand. Maybe the simple gesture would take away all his worries, all his sin. No more hunting down pirates for the greedy king of his land. Never having to worry about the family he may never have. Taking hold of that hand would make him happier than anything in the world, which frankly he loved and hated.

"Doumeki…" he whispered, "you saved my life, and I didn't even ask you to do it…I owe you a wish now."

"A wish? What kind of wish?" the admiral asked. Watanuki opened his eyes.

"The kind you would ask a djinn, your deepest desire. That's equal worth of a life." He said solemnly.

"You only get one?"

"yeah…that's the rules. One for one. If you let me go back home I can give you another wish.

"Another wish…" he repeated, unintentionally out load. What did he desire most? A life without pirates? His cozy home at the seaside? Or…this merboy. He shook his head. He took Watanuki out of the list of what he wanted. This was the prize for the king, nothing more, but he couldn't help thinking about how close the two were getting.

"You don't have to tell me now, but it would be nice if I could grant your wish in the sea." He said, completely interrupting Doumeki's train of thought. He looked down to find Watanuki staring up at him hopefully. Doumeki looked away.

"What if I…what if my wish was you?" he said and looked back down. Watanuki's face was stemmed with surprise and terror. His heart twisted sharply at the unspoken reply. Watanuki didn't want him like he did. Watanuki turned away face singed with red, tears welled in his eyes.

"Please, don't mess with me. You might have saved me, but I'm not a toy. I'm a fish, I'm not human. I would die on land and you would die in the water."

"What if I wanted to make you human? It would work then. You wouldn't die and we could be together." Doumeki said while entwining their fingers. He pulled the hand up to his face and gently kissed it. Watanuki flinched and pulled his hand from the admirals and pushed himself away a little farther into the - water with the hand Doumeki had kissed pressed gently to his chest. His face was the definition of horrified confusion. His slender brows were pressed upward to the crown of his head, his eyes were wide and shining an emerald blue from the light reflected on the water, and his mouth was held slightly agape as his lips quivered.

"Why did you do that?" he stammered. He seemed scared. Doumeki waded forward to him. Watanuki swam back a bit trying to move away but Doumeki gripped his arms, holding him in place.

"Don't run away." He stated. Their eyes connected, soft cobalt eyes met stern gold ones. "I don't have a family. I have very few friends. You are really the only person I have ever had an enjoyable conversation with. You're also the most beautiful creature I have ever seen. I think I may…love you." Those last two words fell into Watanuki's chest softly, chilling his heart, making his eyes well with the ocean. He cried.

"You…you can't love me! It's not right! I…I'm an ocean creature your not! I have fins you have feet! "He screamed, "and how would you know any way? We've only been together for two days! TWO! How can you be sure it's not just infatuation? "His voice softened as he began to shake.

"How can you love me…"he whispered before his body gave in and he began to bawl. Doumeki pulled him close, wrapping his arms around him as he did so. He cried hard into the white navy shirt that was plastered to the admiral's skin from the cold dark water. He knelt his head into the crook of the sad boy's neck and breathed, "I'm sorry for hurting you, but I do love you." The boy just cried harder. Doumeki moved his hands up and down his back, hoping to soothe him some.

The moon had moved across the sky when Watanuki finally stopped crying. He lifted his head and pushed Doumeki away. He turned around and looked longingly out at the sea. The moonlight was gently gracing his skin. Doumeki silently wished that he was the moon right now, wish he could touch that skin the way the moon was.

A snap sounded behind them and both turned to face the opposing noise. A man and his lady friend stood, staring out at the admiral and his friend. Doumeki took notice to the man. His eyes lingered on Watanuki far longer than he liked. The man smiled and lust filled his eyes. He didn't know that Watanuki was a mermaid, for now at least. He moved forward down the hill to the rocks and into the water. Doumeki began to push Watanuki out further, but the man was faster. He gripped Watanuki's arm then turned to face Doumeki. Doumeki moved protectively in front of Watanuki as best he could.

"Where did you buy this one?" he asked the admiral, motioning to Watanuki. Doumeki glared down the man saying, "I didn't buy him any where, and he's not for sale."

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that. I was willing to pay a hefty price, I could throw in her too," he stated nonchalantly and pointed to the drunken girl on shore. "She's a good girl. Real strong and good looking too. Whatcha say?" Doumeki lowered his head to look back at Watanuki, who was trembling and crying. This was all just too much for him. He had to get him back on the ship to rest some more.

"No. you aren't getting him. That's that. Now go away." The admiral ordered. He grabbed the man's arm and pulled him away from Watanuki before pushing him aside. He pulled Watanuki close and began to walk to shore but was stopped when the man said, "that's really too bad. Your life is on line now," he stated and suddenly, a sharp hiss of pain enveloped Doumeki's body. He fell forward, head plunging into the now ice cold water, which now held a black luster to it from the life that now poured out of his back, staining his white shirt red.

"Oh my god! Doumeki!" Watanuki screamed as he reached forward, but the moment his fingers gripped his shirt a strong arm wrapped around his waist and drug him away. Doumeki stood as tall as he could and watched as the man ran up the rocks with his Watanuki. For the first time in a very long time he felt the tears fall from his eyes, and it wasn't caused by the gaping wound that shown prominently on his back.


	7. Chapter 7

Okay active story readers, I am sad to say this Fanfic is coming to an end. I'm not sure if this will be the last chapter, or if there will be an epilogue or what…because I've been making this up as I go. Lol. But I'm proud to say that I will be writing other fanfics, hopefully as quick as I did this one, so please read them as well! P.S. sorry for the long wait... Now on to the chapter!

Hands moved all along the water creatures sides, pulling at his scales and tearing at his flesh. The man ground in his teeth as he searched for a way to tear off what he believed was a new style of pants. The woman, obviously more drunk than her friend, held down the scared boy's hands. He cried out, not used to such abuse, to the admiral for help. He was again at a loss, for the admiral lay dying in the ocean, a pool of water that he didn't belong.

"How the hell do you take this off?" yelled the man at Watanuki who wiggled and struggled in the two humans' grasps. He kept his mouth shut. He would not talk to a human who had stabbed his friend.

"Stay still!" he ordered, but Watanuki continued to wiggle around on the sharp rocks. Frustrated he lifted his hand and brought it down with ferocity, leaving a large red mark across his face. The sound of flesh striking flesh resounded throughout the area.

Doumeki looked up as best he could, just in time to see his friend get slapped. He felt his heart fall with that sudden act of violence. Even though his heart ached, he felt strength surge. He stood in the water, which rippled out ward when he moved. He moved his head up, pulling his chest with it, straightening his back. He yelled, "Watanuki!"The boy looked back out at the water, tears staining his face.

"Watanuki, I have my wish," he paused. The man and woman holding Watanuki down turned to look at the bleeding man screaming out in the water. All eyes were on the admiral. He took in a deep breath of salty air and said, "I want you to be a human, with me in a house by the sea. You can go back to world any time, and I would be free from my duty as admiral." Watanuki sighed and looked away.

"Is that really what you want? It would give me freedom too…"he said. The man who had caused the main problem of that day became angry that hew wasn't being considered in this conservation. He raised hi hand and slapped the crying boy beneath him.

"Shut up you whore." He said. Watanuki clamped his mouth shut tight. He was terrified and hurting. He didn't know what to do. He cried. His sobs were hard and long. He hand and back were beginning to bleed for the scrapping of the rocks. The man began to claw at his stomach, leaving deep red marks that resembled gashes. Doumeki waded forward in the water, trailing his blood as he went. He had to get that disgusting drunk away from his friend, no matter the cost.

His fist to the face of the man the moment he got in range. The intoxicated woman screamed and shuffled up the bank. The man grumbled and looked at Doumeki.

"You should have died by now…" he said, Utterly confused.

"I don't die so easily. They didn't make me an admiral fro no reason." He said confidently. He stood straight up, doing his best to ignore the searing pain roaming around in his back and looked the man dead in the eye.

"Leave, or I will kill you." The man new that, even though his adversary was mortally wounded he would loose. He glared at the admiral the he too scrambled up the bank back into the town. When the man was gone out of sight the admiral collapsed out of pain. He knees hit the ground hard, causing them to bleed. Watanuki gasped. He crawled over across the sharp rocks to his friend. He was still crying. This was the first time in a long time that he had lost someone, and he wanted it to stay that way.

"What do you wish for…" he sobbed. Gently he placed his hand on the admirals shoulders and laid his head down between them.

"I want a nice house on the sea shore with three bedrooms and a dog. I want you by my side happy and uninjured without people like me chasing after you…trying to hurt you for their own gain…"

"i..wish granted…" Watanuki said hesitantly, "Close your eyes and go to sleep. When you wake up your wish will be granted." Tears streamed steadily down his face as he proceeded to grant his wish. The admiral smiled and laid down on the hard rocks going to easily to sleep. He was content.


	8. Chapter 8

Last chapter…probably…

Below chapter 8 epilouge-ish

Thank you fans for sticking it out!

The admiral smiled. Something soft and soothing brushed gently against his face soothing him. He thought back. Last time he was awake he was lying, dying in the arms of the person he had come to love most. He inhaled. It was the undeniable scent of the sea. Warmth swam across his body that he hadn't noticed when he first came to. It comforted him. He gently wrapped his arms around the warmth vying to sleep again, but the sun that came dancing through the curtained windows wouldn't allow for that to happen. He opened his eyes.

He stared at the boy that slept peacefully in his arms. His hair was soft as it grazed the admiral's face when the gentle breeze pushed it. The comfortable warmth came from the lithe body that was positioned beside him. The admiral sat up in his bed, slowly so he didn't wake up his new companion, and sighed. He released the boy as he did so managing only a slight grumble from the boy. Doumeki pulled the cover up around him so the draft didn't stir him either, and then gazed upon the beauty's face.

Last time he gazed upon this angel's face was right before he had fallen asleep. Last time his face had been pilled with tears, smothered with hurt. He knew that his friend felt useless and weak, which hurt him the most. The admiral looked away. He had caused all this hurt and discomfort.

He stood up off the edge of the bed where he had sat for some time, just thinking, and then proceeded to find a bathroom. They weren't on his ship. They were in a house.

When he found the bathroom he proceeded to take off his shirt. A full length mirror hung on the door and looked his back over up and down, searching for the wound inflicted upon by the drunken man. It was no there. Not even a sigh of it was there, no scar, no pain, nothing. He sighed. Had Watanuki granted his wish?

He left the bathroom quietly, remembering his slumbering friend, but was stopped in his tracks by a rather loud thud. He ran from the bathroom area back to the bedroom area only to see Watanuki, grumbling on the floor. Doumeki smirked at him as he sprawled rather pathetically on the floor.

"Doumeki! How on earth do you use these things?" he cried out, making the badly suppressed laughter come out of Doumeki's mouth in droves.

"What's so funny?" he sneered, hoping Doumeki would get the hint and stop laughing, but he only succeeded in making him laugh more. Watanuki scowled at him.

"Stop laughing! I can't stand over here! Come help me up!" he demanded. Doumeki stopped laughing enough to walk across the room and pick his friend up off the floor and place him on the bed.

Doumeki stared at Watanuki as he sat on the bed, thoroughly embarrassed. He had never seen him with legs before; actually he never even pictured him with legs before. He looked elegant even though he was as graceful as a new born horse. It was quite laughable, but he dared not push it any further. At the sight of the smooth legs where a shimmering tail once was, the admiral knew his wish was granted. He looked at Watanuki.

"This is my new house?" he asked. Watanuki nodded his head.

"Do I have a dog?" he asked. He nodded again.

"Will you be staying here?" he asked. Another nod.

"With…me?" he asked. Watanuki paused then blushed.

"I'll be staying here, with you, and the dog. I'm a human now…just as you wished." He said and a slight smile spread across the admiral's face. He pulled the former merboy into a tight hug before gently kissing his head. Watanuki's blush deepened, but he didn't pull away. They would definitely be happy here.


End file.
